


Bloodshed

by Agatha15



Series: Max & Helen [2]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25858111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agatha15/pseuds/Agatha15
Summary: This story is inspired by the episode Degüello (season 6 episode 4).I started with the phone conversation between Morse and DeBryn just before the doctor was kidnapped. Then, I tried to imagine the reactions of Max and Helen in this situation.
Relationships: Max DeBryn/Helen Kelvin (invented character), Max DeBryn/Original Female Character
Series: Max & Helen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866256
Kudos: 2





	Bloodshed

**Author's Note:**

> I’m Italian, so I wrote the stories in my own language and then I translated them into English.  
> I tried to do my best but I’m sure there are several grammatical and syntax errors. Please, forgive me for this! (and reports me the mistakes, if you want).  
> However, I hope that what I wrote is still readable.

* * *

\- Morse -

\- Ah, there you are. It’s Max -

\- It’s late for you -

\- Listen, I’ve just had the results through on your muddy boot prints. As suspected, consistent with material found locally at Wicklesham... Sorry wait a minute… - ( _ distant _ ) Can I help you? ( _ Clattering sounds _ )-

\- Doctor? MAX?! -

_ \- CLICK -  _ The telephonic communication was interrupted.

* * *

Morse ran out and jumped into the car, leaving at full speed towards the hospital.

Something definitely happened. He had to hurry.

When he reached his destination, he abandoned the vehicle just outside the entrance of the building and he rushed into it.

He quickly walked through several corridors until he reached the door of the morgue.

He lowered the handle. Blood pulsated in his temples for running and agitation.

He went into the autopsy room. It was empty. He looked around. The phone was in the usual place, it had been hung up. He leaned on his knees to better observe the mud spots he had noticed on the floor. A little further on he saw a pair of glasses. It was Max’s and it was broken.

What now? He had to warn Helen. What if she was kidnapped, too?

At that moment, he heard a noise behind him and he turned abruptly.

\- Oh... Hi, Morse. What are you doing here at this hour? - said Dr. Kelvin entering the room. 

Then, noticing his face a bit upset, she added - Are you all right? -

The policeman didn’t know where to start.

\- Max called to tell me the results of the analysis on mud prints... -

\- Oh yes, I took them to him about twenty minutes ago. But where is he? We have to go home -

Morse swallowed slowly and continued his story. He was not sure how the woman would react.

When he finished, Helen looked at him and widely opened her sky blue eyes, and only then she noticed her husband’s cracked glasses in the hands of the cop.

She slowly laid her back to the counter behind her, remaining silent for a few moments.

\- Kidnapped? But... why? If they wanted to hide the results of the tests, they would have had to kidnap me, too. Besides, Max told me that they were just a confirmation to the suspicions you’ve had for a long time - Helen said.

Morse was admired by the woman’s cold-bloodedness and he simply said - I’ll bring him home, I promise you - 

She smiled - I know -

* * *

When he regained consciousness, Max found himself lying in what looked like an open truck, apparently inside a shed. It was already dark.

They had beaten him and then a blow to the back of the head made him faint. He felt his face covered with blood. A gag had been tied on his mouth and it pressed painfully on the lower lip broken by one of the fists received. His hands were tied behind his back with a thick rope that cut off his wrists; his feet were also tied.

"Helen!" was his first thought. What if they kidnapped her, too?

He tried to turn to check her presence. But he did not see or hear anything. What if they had taken her somewhere else?

But there were always other people in the forensic lab, she was never alone, they wouldn’t dare…

He prayed with all his heart that it was really like that. 

He felt his eyes filled with tears. If anything had happened to her, he couldn’t take it.

* * *

Morse had insisted on driving Helen home. Although she seemed perfectly calm, he didn’t trust to let her drive. She had protested a bit but, in the end, she had given in.

He followed her to the front door.

\- As soon as I have news, I’ll call you right away - he said as the woman opened the door.

She turned around and she smiled weakly - Thank you... -

Then they said goodbye. The policeman went back into the car and the woman entered the house. 

She closed the door and leaned against it with her back, closing her eyes. In one hand, she was holding her husband’s broken glasses.

She remained like this for a few moments, then she slowly went upstairs and went into the bedroom to change her clothes.

As she sat on the bed to remove her socks, her eyes filled with tears.

She thought back to the evening before. She was sitting in exactly the same spot, and Max, climbing across the bed, he had reached her crawling to kiss her on the neck.

Where was he now? What did they do to him?

Her gaze rested on the cracked glasses that she had left on the bedside table. Surely, they had beaten him. She remained there, motionless for some time. Then she got up and went down to the kitchen. She opened the fridge but immediately closed it; she wasn’t hungry.

She went into the living room. What could she do? Nothing... she had to be distracted.

She sat at the piano; she opened the keyboard and leaned over her hands. She stared at them for a moment, in silence. Then, she began to play.

Her fingers moved fast up and down the keyboard. It was not a particular melody. It was just a succession of scales, punctuated by some chords, faster and faster, louder and louder.

As the notes came out of the piano, the tears rolled over the woman’s face.

Suddenly, Helen stopped after playing a final dissonant chord with all the strength she had. She let the sound resonate in the room. Then, the house was soon invaded by silence.

The woman wiped her face and began to play again. This time she performed a famous song, which she knew well by heart: Nocturne No. 2, op. 9 by Chopin.

Magically, the tears that still filled her eyes faded slowly as the notes of the melody came out the instrument.

At the end of the piece, Helen rose quickly to take more sheet music and continued to play, almost without interruption, until late at night. 

Then, overcome by tiredness, she decided to try to sleep.

She went up to her room and, after putting on her pyjamas, she remained for a moment staring at the empty bed. She slipped under the covers and turned off the light. 

She turned to her right side and remained for a long time with her eyes open.

She stretched out her left arm and, feeling the cold of the empty mattress, a shiver run down her back. Finally, she closed her eyes but she fell asleep only after several hours. The next morning she found herself hugging her husband’s pillow.

* * *

Max had barely slept that night. He felt completely sore. Every little movement cost him a tremendous effort.

Suddenly, he heard a voice saying - Check if he’s still alive -

DeBryn recognized Jago’s voice and he thought: "You fucking bastard!” 

Between Box and Jago, the latter was the least he liked from the start.

A man opened the truck trunk - Yes, he is alive - he said laughing maliciously.

\- All right, let’s get ready -

The vehicle was set in motion; it went out of the shed and stopped shortly after.

Max waited. When he heard Morse’s voice, he breathed easy again and he rejoiced even more when he heard the arrival of Thursday, Strange and Bright.

Then the truck body was opened again and the doctor saw the four policemen lined up in front of Jago and three other people.

Suddenly, the sirens of other police cars were heard. The four kidnappers fled followed by the other four men.

He was a police officer who came to rescue DeBryn and helped him out of the vehicle.

He attempted to slowly stretch out his sore limbs that had been constrained in an unnatural position until then.

Later, he saw Morse approaching - Max! How are you? - he asked him thoughtfully.

\- All in all, I’m ok. But, Helen... Where is she? Did they kidnap her, too? - The doctor asked immediately with concern.

\- No, she’s fine. Here she is - said the friend with a nod.

Max turned to the indicated direction. He saw a police car approaching. Helen jumped from the front seat, and ran towards him.

\- Helen! -

\- Max! -

The woman threw her arms around her husband’s neck, who held her close to himself. They remained like this for a while.

Then Helen broke free from the embrace and she looked at the man’s face. He was encrusted with blood. He had a cut on his right temple and his lower lip was swollen.

Max was caressing her cheek and she did the same.

\- What a long beard... - she said laughing. Usually, he was always perfectly shaved, while now his face was covered with short and shaggy hair.

\- I know, I can’t wait to shave and take a hot shower - the man smiled and kissed her slightly on the lips. Then he laid his forehead against his wife’s, while she stroked his neck.

\- I was afraid they’d kidnapped you, too - said the doctor as tears ran down his cheeks.

\- Well, they weren’t very smart - she smiled wiping her husband’s face with her hands.

Max stroked his wife’s shoulders and arms. Helen noticed the deep bruising on the man’s wrists and she frowned.

\- Only a few scratches, they will heal quickly - he reassured her with a smile.

Holding hands, they approached Morse to thank him.

Soon after, one of the rescuers, arrived with the ambulances, drew near.

\- We’ll take you to the hospital to treat your injuries, sir - he said to DeBryn.

\- Thank you, but you don’t have to. I’m a doctor and I’ll manage on my own - Max answered.

\- But the cut on your forehead might need some stitches... - he tried to add the other man.

\- I am an expert in cutting and sewing, I will be able to embroider my forehead, too -

At those words, the medical worker looked at him a bit amazed and then, shrugging, he walked away.

\- I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want to go home - said Max noting that Helen was looking at him with a slight air of disapproval, even though she was smiling.

* * *

Finally at home, Max went straight to the bathroom, while Helen prepared him some clean clothes.

When the woman entered the room, she found her husband already outside the shower in a bathrobe, in front of the mirror, while suturing the cut on his right temple.

She saw that he had not shaved his face and she said smiling - When you finished I’ll shave you -

The man stopped and turned to her nodding with a smile.

\- At the hospital for a bit of cross-stitch. Codswallop... - said Max as he put a band-aid over the wound. He also disinfected and bandaged the bruises on his wrists. Then, he sat on a stool near the sink and let his wife shave his face.

\- I should get shaved by you more often. Your hand is so soft - he said as he wiped his face.

\- The barber must be paid - she replied smiling.

Then, Max dragged her towards him, encircling her waist.

\- Kiss me... - he told her in a whisper.

Helen smiled stroking his hair; she loved his hair. Then, she leaned over to him and kissed him gently and softly. His lip was still a little swollen and she didn’t want to hurt him.

At the contact between their lips, the man felt reborn. An immense sense of serenity pervaded him. They continued for several minutes, until Max’s stomach, which had been empty since the day before, mumbled in protest.

They both burst into laughter and Helen, after a final kiss on her husband’s forehead, went down to the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

The man reached her shortly after and he dropped himself on one of the chairs around the table.

\- I ache all over. Especially my neck and shoulders... - he said rubbing a shoulder-blade.

\- After lunch I’ll give you a massage... - said Helen winking at him while setting the table.

The simple steak prepared that day was for Max the most delicious dish in the world. 

He told Helen what had happened to him and how he had felt during his kidnapping, and she did the same. 

At the end of the meal, the doctor offered to help his wife set up the kitchen, but she refused categorically and he simply watched her. He hadn’t seen her for a day, and yet it seemed like an eternity.

When the woman had finished, Max stood up and kissed her. His wounded lip was much better and anyway, his wife’s kisses were so sweet and gentle… 

\- Sit down again, so I massage your neck a bit - she whispered to him.

Max smiled and made to sit again, but Helen blocked him - Wait... better without the shirt... -

The man remained to look, with dreamy eyes, at his wife who unbuttoned his shirt. 

Left in his undershirt, he sat down on the chair.

He closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh as her delicate hands began to rub his neck and shoulders. He felt all the tension, accumulated after the last events, slowly melt away.

\- How are you? - asked Helen

\- Wonderfully... - answered Max almost in a whisper.

She smiled and she leaned down kissing him several times on the neck. He opened his eyes that he had kept closed, until then and he smiled.

With his left hand he reached his right shoulder on which his wife’s hand lay; he took it and slowly pulled her forward. Helen moved to his side and Max made her sit on his legs. They looked at each other smiling and then they kissed sweetly.

Helen stroked the hair behind Max’s neck, while he slowly ran his hands over her back. They kissed for a long time. Then the woman broke off, put her head on her husband’s shoulder, surrounding his neck with her arms.

They remained in that position, embraced in silence, for several minutes. They did not need anything else; the only important thing was to stay close to each other.

\- Let’s go to sleep... - Helen said at one point. Max nodded.

It was only afternoon, but both had spent a restless night and they were very tired. A nap was just what they needed.

They crawled into bed and kissed each other again.

The man thought that his wife’s lips were particularly tempting that day; in fact, every part of his wife’s body was more tempting than usual, but he was too tired and still too unsettled to let himself loose.

Helen felt the same way, and after a few last kisses, they fell asleep hugging each other.


End file.
